A Different Woman: Season 1, Episode 2
by bionic4ever
Summary: Season 1, Episode 2: Steve thinks there is something dangerously different about Jaime. Will he convince Rudy and Oscar in time? A big thank you to The Bionic Project's members!
1. Prologue

**A Different Woman** – Season One, Episode Two

Prologue

"Rudy, I need your help," Steve said with quiet urgency. "There's something wrong with Jaime."

"I just saw her three days ago, after her mission," the doctor responded, "and she was fine. Good health, high spirits. Is she hurt?"

"Not that I know of..."

"Sick?"

"I....don't know."

"Steve," Rudy sighed, "if you want my help, you'll have to be a little more specific." Even through the phone line, Steve's worry was loud and clear. Rudy waited patiently for his friend to find the words.

"I'm not sure, exactly. She just isn't....herself."

Rudy smiled with relief, immediately diagnosing the 'problem'. "She's a different woman now, Steve," he said gently. "Her emotions, her reactions and her entire psyche have been affected by what happened to her."

"I understand that – and I've accepted it – but in the last few days....Rudy, I can't explain it but something's _off_....different."

"She's working again, settling into her new life and figuring out who she is. She'll be fine; you both will."

"Maybe you're right," Steve allowed. _God, I hope so...._

- - - - -


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The next morning, Steve was still worried. He couldn't help it; his heart was stronger than his head when it came to Jaime – and something was _wrong_. He'd been invited over for breakfast, and he was surprised to be served poached eggs on toast instead of Jaime's favorite omelets. Curious as well as concerned, he searched for the furry little sausage thief who should've been curling around their ankles, purring and begging.

"Where's Buster?" he asked lightly.

"Who?"

Steve frowned as, inwardly, his gut began turning wrenching cartwheels. "Um...your kitten..." he said, eying her closely.

She shrugged and smiled, nodding toward the closed basement door. "Can't have him begging at the table; I put him downstairs so we could eat in peace," she answered simply, beaming at him.

_She's a different woman now, Steve,_ he reminded himself, but Jaime had never minded Buster's begging before. In fact, she'd always slipped choice morsels from her plate to the kitten while she ate. She'd found the kitten a few weeks earlier, just after her release from the hospital – _after_she'd become a 'new woman'...

When they finished eating, belying her usual habit of lingering at the table to talk, she jumped up and began clearing the table, kissing Steve's cheek as she picked up his plate.

_She's a different woman now..._..Steve leapt up and followed her into the kitchen, so he could dry while she washed, as was their habit.

"Oh, no you don't!" she protested, tenderly caressing his cheek before handing him a mug of coffee. "You just relax now; this won't take long."

Steve nodded numbly and opened the basement door on his way into the living room. He sank into a chair and watched in stunned silence as Buster made a wide circle around the edge of the kitchen – avoiding his owner entirely – and barreled into Steve's lap without a single backward glance.

The dishes were done in quick order and she joined Steve, removing Buster from his lap and plunking him unceremoniously onto the floor so she could drape herself on the arm of his chair, one arm curled around Steve's waist.

_She's a different woman..._..Steve drew her closer, struggling to ignore his growing dread, needing _her_. Those hazel eyes had always turned him to jelly, and he nearly lost himself in the moment, almost believed that Rudy had been right after all. Still, the feeling that something was _off_gnawed at him until he could no longer force it away.

_**A different woman**_...

He had been so certain when he'd placed the urgent call to Oscar, summoning him to LA, but now, sitting across from both Rudy and Oscar, Steve didn't know what to say. "It's not any one thing," he began, suddenly hesitant. "The whole picture is just..._wrong _somehow. I mean, I've adjusted to the new Jaime – I've ridden out all the changes – but I'm telling you that this is something else. She's different than when she got out of the hospital. She's different than she was a week ago. It's like she's a completely...different person."

"Are you saying she's an impostor?" Oscar asked, leaning forward.

"Of course not; but maybe something happened on that mission," Steve suggested. He turned to Rudy. "Or could she be rejecting the bionics again?"

Oscar's worry lines deepened. "Her mission was fairly straightforward. And she exceeded our expectations in every way. There were no problems. Rudy, what do you think?"

Rudy sighed. "Like I've already told Steve, Jaime's condition is extremely changeable right now. She's still relearning who she is – I'd be worried if she _wasn't _changing! When I saw her four days ago, she was happy – and healthy. There were no injuries, no trauma; absolutely nothing that could trigger rejection!" His voice softened. "You may still be looking for the Jaime you grew up with, the Jaime you were about to marry -"

"That's not it at all!" Steve argued. "Oscar, you've always told me I have great instinct, right?"

"The best, Pal."

"Well, right now, that instinct is hollering! Please...if both of you could meet with her, talk to her...maybe then you'll understand."

"Of course we'll see her," Oscar confirmed. "Today, if possible. Tell her...that it's a follow-up to her assignment. We'll get this figured out; I promise."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Steve and Jaime are here," Russ announced, holding the door to the inner office open so the couple could enter before he discreetly disappeared.

"Thanks for coming in, Jaime," Oscar said genially. "Please – sit down." While she perched cheerfully in a chair, Steve hovered behind her, a protective hand on her shoulder. Oscar raised an eyebrow. "We'll take it from here, Pal."

Steve kissed her cheek and gave her shoulder a loving squeeze. "I'll be right outside," he told her, shooting a meaningful glance at the two men seated across from her as he headed out the door.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, the slightest bit of worry and nervousness crossing her face.

"On the contrary," Oscar said, smiling. "Doctor Courtney reports that his clinic has never run more smoothly. The formula is safe, his facility is secure and his personnel are happy. He is extremely pleased with your work – and so are we."

"Thank you."

"How are you feeling, Honey?" Rudy asked carefully. "Have you noticed any after-effects from going back to work?"

"I don't think so."

"No headaches, pain, unusual fatigue?"

She smiled brightly, hoping to reassure him. "I'm fine."

"How are things with Steve?" the doctor probed gently.

"Great! We're goin' out to lunch when I'm done here...unless...you have more work for me?"

"Not yet, Babe," Oscar told her. "You've earned a rest."

"But I _want_ to work; I _like_ working!"

"That's admirable – and very ambitious – but-"

"I'm not some fragile little flower, you know," she said boldly, looking Oscar directly in the eyes, as if challenging him.

He merely grinned at her. "You've definitely proved that."

"As if we didn't know it already," Rudy agreed.

"And I get so bored just sitting at home!"

"I'm sure Steve can help you with that," Oscar pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess....but...well....I'm ready to go, whenever you need me."

"I appreciate that, Babe." Oscar rose to his feet. "Enjoy your lunch."

"Thanks; we will," she chirped, almost bouncing out the door.

Oscar saw her out, then waited until she was out of hearing range before turning to Rudy. "So...what's your diagnosis?"

"We could all benefit from a bit of her enthusiasm."

Oscar nodded. "And Steve's concern? What do you make of that?"

"Steve has known Jaime her entire life," Rudy explained patiently. "But a person's emotions and reactions are based largely on their individual warehouse of memories and past experiences. Jaime no longer has that. So in a lot of ways, she's an entirely different woman now. Steve is struggling to reconcile the Jaime he's always known with who she is today. He understands that, though, so he'll be alright; just give him some time."

- - -

Steve gazed across the table at her and couldn't imagine what he'd been thinking. Oscar and Rudy obviously thought she was fine – or they'd have said _something_. Kept her for observation, maybe. They didn't, so everything _had_ to be ok.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" she asked in a soft voice that warmed his entire being.

"You," Steve said honestly. "I'm just so happy to be here with you."

She smiled, and Steve's world righted itself. "You are so sweet...and so handsome," she whispered, picking up the menu. "I haven't been here in awhile; any suggestions?"

"The club sandwich is good," he told her. "At least, you seemed to really like it when you had it here last week." _Tilt!_ went his world, as the cartwheels turned to an ugly, awful inner scream.

"I guess I must've been more caught up in getting back to work than I thought," she replied. "I forgot all about that. Today, I think I'll have the double cheeseburger."

"Sounds good," Steve agreed, wondering how her taste in food (and her appetite, as the burger was usually far too big for her) had changed so drastically in less than a week. Still, Rudy knew what he was talking about – didn't he....?

When the food was served, Steve watched her closely. The burger was too thick for _him_ to simply pick up and bite into; how would she deal with it? A bionic smoosh, maybe?

"Ooh, this looks good!" she purred, picking up her steak knife. As she cut the huge sandwich in two, the tomato slipped from the lettuce and the knife slipped from her hand. Steve closed his eyes for a split second, then opened them again, hoping he'd imagined it, but there it was. He wasn't wrong; Rudy and Oscar were. One of her fingers was bleeding.

_Her right index finger._

- - - - -


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Steve's mind raced, even as his heart broke. _Who is this woman – and where is Jaime?_ The possibilities were too awful to consider, but he had no choice. He could see how they'd all been fooled; she was a perfect double, from the flecks of gold in her hazel eyes to the soft, lilting timbre of her voice. Steve was careful not to let his expression betray him as he excused himself, headed in the direction of the men's room and (once out of her sight) took a swift detour to the pay phone.

The answer was prompt and brisk. "Oscar Goldman speaking."

Steve took a deep, steadying breath. "It's me," he said, very quietly. "Oscar, we've got a problem."

Still in his LA office, Oscar motioned for Rudy to join him on the line. "What is it, Pal?"

"This isn't Jaime; she's an impostor."

Rudy was losing his patience. "Steve, we've been through this – more than once – and-"

"No – you don't understand," Steve protested.

"We know how confusing this has been for you, Pal," Oscar told him. "We could arrange for you to talk to someone who-"

"**She **_**isn't**_** Jaime**!" Steve snapped.

"No, she's not," Rudy said softly. "She may never be Jaime – as you knew her – ever again, but-"

"Listen to me!" Steve hissed, trying to stay calm. "She's _bleeding._"

"Well, if it's serious, bring her in and I'll certainly take care of it, but-"

Steve had to control his temper; he needed their help. "Her _right hand_ is bleeding! Now, unless Rudy has invented a bionic circulatory system that I don't know about, we've got a serious problem!" No one spoke for a few seconds that seemed like forever. "I don't know how long she's been here – how long Jaime's been gone," Steve continued. "and I'd like to question her myself, but-"

"That's not a good idea, Pal."

"I know that! I'm afraid I might hurt her, and she could be our only link to finding Jaime."

"Right," Oscar agreed. "So here's what we'll do..."

- - -

Oscar patted his inner coat pocket before he and Russ entered the restaurant. His gun was accessible if he needed it in a hurry but undetectable if he didn't. His datacom was handy and back-up (including Jack Hansen, of course) waited just around the corner. If all went according to plan, she'd be leaving with them, quietly. If not....they were ready.

"Oscar!" Steve protested, right on cue, when he saw him approach. "You couldn't let us have lunch in peace?"

"Jaime did say she wanted to work," Oscar began, forcing a smile at the woman at the table, "and, Babe, I've got an assignment for you."

"Terrific!" she chirped happily. "Where?"

"We really can't discuss it here." Oscar shot Steve a knowing glance, then smiled again at 'Jaime'. "Let's head back to the office and I'll give you all the details. Steve, I'm sorry to interrupt your meal -"

"We were just about done, anyway." With deep revulsion (but trying to maintain a sense of normalcy), he kissed her cheek. "I'll see ya when you get back," he told 'Jaime'. "Good luck." He watched from the table as the impostor followed Oscar out to the car and got in without an argument. Then, before heading out to his own car, Steve said a silent prayer....for the _real_ Jaime.

- - -

"So – what do you have for me?" she asked, once she was seated across from Oscar's desk. "Must be pretty important since it came up so quickly."

"Life or death," Oscar told her grimly.

Suddenly, the office door opened and Russ, Hansen and a half dozen men in penguin suits flooded the office. 'Jaime' watched in surprise as Steve brought up the rear and silently closed the door. His eyes, so loving just an hour earlier, were stone cold. He strode across the room to stand directly in front of her chair, arms folded angrily across his chest, glaring at her.

"What....what's going on?" she asked in a near-whisper.

"Who are you?" Steve demanded.

"Honey," the woman purred, "have you lost your mind?" She started to stand up, to wrap her arms around him, but Steve stepped forward, his knees meeting hers firmly, forcing her to stay seated.

"_**Who. Are. You**__?"_ he repeated with frightening intensity.

"Oh, c'mon now – don't be silly. Did you hit your head or something?"

Steve reached for her with tensed fists, causing her to shrink back in the chair. Realizing what he'd almost done, he stepped aside. Oscar immediately took his place.

"Who do you work for?" Oscar queried.

"For you....I....thought."

"Your little charade is over. You've failed." Oscar scowled as the woman simply stared wordlessly at him. "Where is Jaime Sommers?"

"I don't imagine I have anything else to say," 'Jaime' told him.

"There is no Fifth Amendment in _this_ office!" Oscar thundered.

'Jaime' shrugged. "I guess I can tell you one thing. You're too late. She's already dead."

- - - - -


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Steve paced anxiously outside the tiny NSB holding cell. He'd come dangerously close to manhandling the woman who was – for now – their only link to Jaime, and had reluctantly agreed to let Oscar and Hansen take it from there. Still, he couldn't stay away. Was the woman lying? She _had_ to be! His mind couldn't wrap around the very real possibility that Jaime had been taken from him...for the last time. He had never felt so helpless...or so totally bereft.

Inside the cell, Jaime's double sat in stony silence on the tiny metal wall bench while her two interrogators towered over her. She had not uttered a single sound since coldly informing them that Jaime was dead.

"Who sent you here?" Hansen persisted. Frustrated by the woman's lack of response, he leaned down to within inches of her face. "This is about to get very unpleasant," he threatened, "but it doesn't have to be. Now....where is Jaime Sommers?"

Steve heard the _SLAP!_ from out in the hallway, and then....nothing.

- - -

The hours stretched by interminably, past dinnertime, bedtime and breakfast – but in the basement of NSB Headquarters, no one ate or slept. When Jack grew tired or hoarse, Oscar took over – and vice versa – hammering unrelentingly at their captive beyond anyone's endurance. When the door finally opened, Steve was instantly alert....and hopeful. Oscar and Jack re-locked the cell and motioned him into the conference room at the foot of the stairs, shaking their heads in disbelief. Steve's already-broken heart sank.

"Anything....?" He _had_ to ask.

"Her name is Lisa Galloway," Oscar told him. "But that's all we could get."

Steve closed his eyes. "And....Jaime?"

Oscar shook his head. "I'm sorry, Pal." Russ joined them, answering the silent signal from the datacom and Oscar turned to him immediately with instructions. "Run 'Lisa Galloway' through our system – forward, backward and sideways. I need every detail you can come up with: where she's from, education, any occupations she's had....hell, find out what she ate for dinner on her third birthday! We need everything you can gather – and we need it yesterday."

"I'm on it," Russ promised, hurrying away.

"We'll do everything we can," Oscar promised, a consoling hand on Steve's shoulder. "We _will_ find her; no matter what."

As Steve watched his boss leave the room, the truth hit him like a sucker punch to the gut. _Oscar thinks she's dead...._

- - -

"She's clean, Oscar," Russ said solemnly, placing the yellow file into Oscar's hands. "Not even a traffic ticket. Must've had a damn good plastic surgeon; her picture's inside. I'm not sure if any of this stuff will help, but here you go."

Oscar opened the file. The stack of papers inside, full of mostly trivial information, would take hours (if not days) to sort through. Quickly, he divided the papers four ways and handed a stack each to Steve, Russ and Rudy. "Somewhere in here, there _has_ to be a clue. Let's find it."

Silently, intently, the four men settled in to read. Hunger, exhaustion and time had no meaning. All that mattered was finding Jaime. Hours passed unnoticed as the quartet, fueled by an ocean of coffee, scoured every word, every sentence, in what they knew was quite possibly a battle already lost. When it happened, the passing time they'd refused to acknowledge suddenly stood still.

"My God....this is it!" Rudy stood and waved the paper excitedly in the air before presenting it to Oscar. "Six months ago, Lisa started undergoing hypnosis to try and quit smoking!"

"And....?" Steve asked impatiently.

"She was treated at the Courtney Clinic!"

Russ didn't have to be told; he was already on the phone and arranging their transport. Oscar gathered all the papers back into the file and turned to the others. "Gentlemen, it looks like we're going to Washington."

- - -

Steve leaned back onto the headrest and looked out the window, but the clouds they were speeding over did nothing to soothe him. If their theory was correct, Jaime had been taken almost immediately after her post-mission exam with Rudy. That meant she'd now been missing for **five days**. Oscar had told him that the one thing Lisa did say (insisted, really) several times was that Jaime was dead. Hansen had kept up the interrogation while they'd been pouring through the files, and still that was all she said: "You're too late....she's dead."

The OSI's fastest plane wasn't quick enough for Steve, and the length of the flight was sheer torture. Could it really be true? Was he clinging to a false hope, he wondered, while the others were expecting to recover.....a _body?_

- - - - -


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Oscar! Great to see you again; to what do I owe the pleasure?" Doctor Courtney was quietly jovial, welcoming Oscar into his inner office.

"Unfortunately, this isn't a social visit, James," Oscar informed him. "This is Jack Hansen, NSB – and we need to talk to you."

"Alright," Courtney agreed warily. "Let's sit down and I'll see what I can do for you."

"Tell us about Lisa Galloway," Hansen requested without preamble.

"Who?"

Oscar's brow furrowed. "Lisa Galloway – she's _your_ patient, _Doctor_. She was here for a follow-up hypnosis session just two weeks ago!"

"Oh, yes....Miss Galloway. Very sweet girl, but she just can't seem to let go of those cigarettes. Frankly, I think she may be beyond any help I could offer her."

"Was there anything unusual about her last visit?" Oscar probed.

"Not that I noticed. She was still smoking."

Oscar nodded. That was it – they had him! "Jack, have your men take him into custody."

"Oscar, what's this about?" Courtney demanded, as the penguin suits filled the room.

"Where is Jaime Sommers?" Oscar shouted, as James Courtney was handcuffed and thrown roughly back into his chair.

"Excuse me?"

Oscar's fist pounded the desk in fury as he stared down at the man he'd thought was an ally. "Lisa Galloway had plastic surgery recently, which was fully healed as of five days ago – which means her appearance had changed drastically the last time you saw her! Or maybe the surgery was performed here....? Funny thing is, she turned out looking exactly like Jaime Sommers – and you didn't see fit to mention that tiny detail to me?"

Jack saw Oscar's fists tighten and shouldered his way in. "Your formula was never in jeopardy, and neither was your clinic! You set her up!" Jack grabbed the front of the doctor's shirt and shook him violently. "Didn't you?"

Courtney settled back into the chair, unfazed. "Mr.....Hansen, is it? This is police brutality, and I won't stand for it!"

"We're not the police," Hansen growled. "We're the NSB."

"What have you done with her, Courtney?" Oscar demanded through teeth clenched even tighter than his fists.

"I can't help you," the doctor replied. "And I demand a lawyer!"

"You'll need one when we're done here," Hansen told him. "Until then, it would be in your best interests to cooperate. Now, where's Jaime?"

"I haven't seen her since she left here last week."

Oscar bristled with rage. "You sent Lisa to take her place, and if you don't have Jaime yourself, you know exactly where she is!"

"I still have no idea what you're talking about. I'm afraid you've made a mistake -"

"Ever see the inside of an interrogation cell?" Oscar threatened. "Not a place anyone would like to be – but that's exactly where you're headed if you don't start working with us here. Now!"

Just like Lisa, James Courtney's response was stone-cold silence.

"We don't have time for this!" Oscar snapped, taking out his datacom. "Rudy, come on up."

Rudy strode in just as 'no-nonsense' as the others, took a large syringe from his pocket and – without a word – plunged it straight into Courtney's arm.

"What the hell was that?" Courtney sputtered.

"Shouldn't take long," Rudy told Oscar, ignoring the handcuffed man in the chair. Within minutes, Courtney's eyelids fluttered, his body slumped and his head nodded numbly.

Oscar leaned closer, his voice soft but unmistakably ominous. "Do you know where Jaime is?"

"Yes...."

"Where did you take her?" There was no response. Oscar was not deterred. "Dammit, Courtney! Where is she?"

"Can't.....tell....you that...."

Oscar nodded to Rudy, who went into the outer office and returned with an IV bag and pole. Still silent, he forced the needle roughly in the other doctor's vein.

"That hurts!" Courtney slurred.

"You bet it does," Oscar agreed. "We're not playing games, Courtney. Answer the question!"

"What....was it?"

Oscar scowled angrily. "Rudy – increase the drip." He watched as their prisoner began to squirm. "Is she in DC? Los Angeles?"

"D...C..." Courtney mumbled, thrashing weakly.

"_Where?"_

"Doesn't.....matter....."

"The hell it doesn't!" Oscar thundered.

"Went....too far...." Courtney was barely conscious now. "You're...too....late...."

- - - - -


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

While Oscar and Jack hammered questions at their groggy prisoner, Steve worked his way down every corridor of the Courtney Clinic, showing Jaime's picture to every person he found. When Oscar made his second datacom transmission – that Jaime _was_ in DC – it added more fuel to Steve's already roaring fire.

After quickly covering the lobby, he moved on to the basement, kicking open the doors to the locked, padded 'quiet rooms' in the hope of finding Jaime in one of them – but finding no one confined inside. "Have you seen this woman?" he urgently asked the guards who soon arrived to investigate the ruckus.

The first man shook his head. "Nope – sorry."

The second guard, though, stared at the photo and then nodded. "Yeah; she was here last week."

"I know," Steve confirmed. "But have you seen her _since_ then?"

"Not on my watch. Now, can I ask why you've broken the doors to our quiet rooms? There could've been patients in there – and you've done some serious damage."

"I'm afraid we'll have to detain you," the first guard added.

"There's no time!" Steve flashed his government ID badge. "This is a National Security matter; you can either help me or get out of my way!"

"I...we're sorry, Colonel," the first guard sputtered, taking several steps backward. "What can we do to help?"

"Start searching for this woman," Steve instructed, holding up the photo one more time. "If you find her, contact Oscar Goldman immediately. You'll find him in your _illustrious leader's_ office."

"Y-y-yes....Sir!"

- - -

Up in Courtney's office, things were not going smoothly. Once their prisoner had passed out, Rudy removed the IV from his arm, revived him and stood ready to re-inject the chemicals upon Oscar or Jack's command.

"What have you done to her, James?" Hansen demanded, the moment Courtney opened his eyes.

Courtney's eyelids fluttered wildly as he slumped forward, nearly falling from the chair. Oscar reached down and slammed him none-too-gently back into place. "We are nowhere _near_ done with you," Oscar seethed. "Maybe you'd like another dose?" He nodded to Rudy, who poised the needle in very a very clear threat.

Courtney moaned and quivered slightly. "Wasn't....supposed to....happen....." he slurred.

"_What_ wasn't?" Jack demanded.

"She should've...woke...up....by the...second....day..." He was still barely conscious, but leaned as far as he could from Rudy's readied needle. "Didn't, though...."

"You drugged her?" Oscar yelled. "You son-of-a -" His fists were twitching. "What happened to her? Where is she?"

"Don't...remember...."

Oscar reached down and, with one rough, furious motion, lifted Courtney by his collar and slammed him into the wall, holding him there. "You'd better start remembering!" he growled, slamming the weakened man once more. "Now!"

"Too...late..." Courtney repeated, just before blacking out.

- - -

On the second floor, Steve found plenty of staff members who remembered seeing Jaime – on her assignment, the previous week. There seemed to be no trace of her since then, but most of the staff members who were not directly caring for patients agreed to help in the search. Steve knew the penguins were covering the offices, the penthouse and the surgical wing, so he sent all available help to the uppermost floors, having them work their way down while he worked his way up.

The third floor, made up primarily of exam rooms and a couple of labs, seemed nearly deserted. His heart pounding in his chest, Steve headed for the fourth floor – and the hospital wing.

- - -

"Dammit, Rudy, we need him awake!" Oscar insisted.

"I'm trying! And he will be – just give him a few minutes."

"In the meantime -" With a nod of his head toward the outer office, Hansen summoned Oscar and Rudy to an impromptu conference/strategy session. "Did Courtney know that Jaime was bionic?" he asked quietly, when they'd assembled out of Courtney's earshot.

"**Was**? You mean **is**!" Oscar bristled, even though he was rapidly losing the last of his hope. "And no, I don't think so. Why?"

"I'm assuming Courtney drugged her to incapacitate her for a cross-country flight," Hansen explained. "I don't mean to sound indelicate, but if he thought her entire body was flesh-and-blood..."

Oscar's eyes darkened as the awful realization hit; Rudy voiced it for all three of them.

"Overdose."

- - - - -


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Steve looked into each patient's room as he passed the doorways, growing more discouraged and despondent with every step. They were all single rooms, in which he saw nearly a dozen different patients....but not Jaime. With nowhere left to go (the penguins were all over on the floors above him), he pulled out his datacom.

"Oscar, you get anything else from Courtney yet?"

Oscar's voice was hesitant and soft. "Maybe you'd better come up here, Pal."

"Just tell me," Steve pleaded. "I've run out of places to look."

Oscar couldn't bear to break the news – not like this – and handed the datacom to Hansen. "Steve," he began slowly, "it appears she may have been given an overdose. I am so sorry -"

Mutely, Steve shoved the datacom back onto his belt and turned to stare out the window. Off to the side was the unit's linen storage and – barely visible in an alcove next to the closet door – was something that looked like a cross between a wheelchair ramp and a tunnel. Steve grabbed a passing nurse by the arm, almost hurting her in his urgency.

"What's that?" he asked. "Where does it lead?"

The nurse eyed him curiously. "That passage? Nothing down there that you'd wanna see. It leads to the morgue."

- - -

"Alright, Courtney," Oscar said gruffly, shaking him awake, "tell us exactly what happened. How and where did you did you make the switch?"

"She was....leaving Doctor....Wells' lab. We...had chloroform."

"Keep going," Oscar commanded. If he gave in to the urge to throttle Courtney, they might never learn the needed facts.

"Parking garage...we put her...in the van..."

"And Lisa took her place?" Hansen concluded.

"Yes..." Courtney took several shuddering breaths, staring at the needle that Rudy still threatened him with and at Oscar's tightly-balled fists. "Gave her...just....a...sedative...."

"To get her on the plane?" Oscar deduced.

Courtney nodded. "But....she...never...woke up...."

Oscar grabbed him again, slamming him to the floor. "I'd promise you the Electric Chair, but you may not need it when I get through with you!"

- - -

The hallway/tunnel was gloomy, unadorned by any signs (or even any lights) and sloped slowly down the entire four stories, into the ground below. The steel door was padlocked and bolted – but proved no match for Steve. The autopsy table was empty and rows of drawers, also made of steel, lined two of the walls. With grim determination, he began opening the drawers, finding most of them empty – and Jaime in none of them.

There was an alcove on either side at the far end of the room, and the door on the right opened easily, into an office without an occupant. The desk was devoid of any sort of files or paperwork and the phone was dead. Steve turned back toward the second alcove and found its door didn't open as readily as the first. He pushed hard, then kicked with all his strength...and didn't make so much as a dent.

"Oscar!" he called urgently into the datacom. "Do you have Courtney's keys?"

Upstairs, in the inner office, Courtney was gasping for breath. "My...desk...top drawer...." he gulped, grateful for even a temporary respite.

"We do now," Oscar confirmed.

"I'll be right up." Steve bypassed the elevator in favor of the stairs, taking them at bionic speed – not caring at that point if anyone saw him. He grabbed the keys from Oscar's hands and turned to run back.

"Steve!" Oscar called to him. "You found something?"

"Maybe!" he hollered back, already running. "Meet me in the morgue! And hurry!"

- - -

Steve was almost shaking as both hope and dread welled inside him. There were so many keys – and three locks to open! It was taking far too long! Rudy, Oscar and Jack came panting up behind him as one of the last keys finally turned in the final lock. Even then, it took everything he had to force the door open. The room was small, dank and bare, with only a cold, metal table against the rear wall. Lying on the table, covered to her chin by a white linen sheet.....was Jaime.

She wasn't moving.

- - - - -


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The sight of Jaime lying pale and still on the table – in the _morgue_ – was too much for Steve to bear. Numbly, he crossed back into the empty office and sank to the floor in deepest grief. He barely heard Rudy's voice, calling urgently to him.

"Steve! Oscar! Call in the chopper! She's **alive**!"

Steve was by her side in less than a heartbeat. Jaime's skin was deathly pale and her lips an awful shade of near-white but when he looked very closely, Steve could see that she was breathing. Weak and almost imperceptibly, but _she was breathing!_

"Courtney must have taken her pulse on her right arm – and thought she was dead," Rudy said softly. "So he just left her here. Oscar, how long on that chopper? We need it now!"

"Can she hear us?" Steve wondered aloud.

Rudy shook his head. "No; she's too far gone. She's severely dehydrated and her vital signs are....not good." In the background, they could hear Oscar giving directions to the Medivac team. "Where the hell are they? Rudy snapped.

"They're in the building," Oscar told him. "Is it safe to transport her like this?"

"A lot safer than treating her here," Rudy stated flatly.

"Hold on, Sweetheart," Steve whispered, holding Jaime's hand. "Please...."

- - -

Steve paced anxiously just outside of Jaime's hospital room. Although the ICU wall was clear glass, he couldn't see her through the flurry of medical personnel and activity that surrounded her bed. When the Code Blue had been sounded half an hour earlier, it was all he could do to keep from rushing in, even when Oscar gently reminded him that his interference would only impede the people who were trying so hard to save her.

One by one, the team began to file out until finally Rudy emerged, wearily wiping his brow. "The re-hydration sent her into shock..." he explained. "Her heart stopped. Twice. We got her back, but I'm afraid her condition is extremely critical."

"Can you flush the drugs from her system?" Oscar asked. "Will that help?"

"Actually, they're already long gone. But the overdose sent her into a coma; we may not be able to bring her back. If we can get her stabilized, I'll have a better idea of her prognosis."

Steve watched through the glass as the lone remaining nurse moistened Jaime's lips with a sterile, damp sponge. "Can I do that for her?" he asked quietly?

Rudy opened his mouth to say no – let the nurse do it – then reconsidered. "I don't see why not. Come on." Once inside, he nodded to dismiss the nurse then handed the tiny sponge to Steve. "The goal is _not_ to drip water into her mouth; just wet her lips lightly."

"Thank you," Steve acknowledged, seating himself beside the bed. "Hi, Sweetheart – it's me," he said quietly. "I love you." He dipped the sponge in the cool water, wrung it out and then thought better of it, setting it aside. His lips were moist (but not too wet) just like the sponge, and he leaned in to give Jaime a warm, soft kiss. When he raised his head and sat back in the chair, he was rewarded with the most beautiful sight he could possibly imagine: Jaime opened her eyes.

"Hi there, Gorgeous," he said, brushing a gentle hand across her forehead. "Welcome back." Jaime didn't speak – she was much too weak – but she managed a very slight smile. "Are you in pain?" Steve asked. She shook her head and, as she looked around the room, her eyes grew wide with fear and confusion. "It's alright," Steve told her. "You're safe now." He realized with a start that her last memory was most likely of leaving Rudy's lab and heading toward her car; she probably had no idea where she was or what had happened to her. Before he could even begin to formulate a decent explanation, though, Rudy joined them.

The doctor's smile was almost as broad as Steve's. "Well, hello," he told her, taking her wrist between his forefinger and thumb. "Your pulse is stronger already; I guess Steve's medicine did the trick."

Steve grinned. "Aw shucks, Doc – you helped."

- - - - -


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Regaining her strength was a long, difficult struggle for Jaime, but having Steve by her side every step of the way made it infinitely more bearable. While she still longed for the lost memories of what they'd shared in the past, Jaime knew that what was growing between them now was pretty wonderful, too. The first sunny afternoon when she felt strong enough for Rudy to allow her to venture out without a wheelchair, she and Steve walked hand-in-hand to the bank of the river that flowed behind Rudy's clinic. Steve helped her down onto the warm, soft grass and then sat beside her. Together, they gazed out at the rippling water, comfortable enough to need no words – content just to be together.

_She is __**so**__ beautiful,_ Steve thought, reaching over to play with her hair. Jaime turned at his touch, tilting her head up to kiss him. As she nestled into his arms, Steve entwined his fingers in her hair, deepening the kiss.

"So...." he said once they were slightly breathless, "will that get it outta you?"

"Get _what_ outta me, Austin?" Jaime asked, teasing.

As much as they'd relished just being there – and being together – Steve knew Jaime had suggested a walk with something on her mind that she needed to talk about. He also knew she wouldn't bring it up until she was darned good and ready. "Whatever's really on your mind," he told her, brushing the hair from her face with a loving hand.

"How did you know that -?" she began, then realized that – with huge chunks of her memory still missing – Steve knew her far better than she knew herself. "Oh. I....uh....wanted to enjoy the weather."

"Sorry, not buyin' it."

Jaime sighed wistfully and leaned into his strength, finding comfort in his arms before she finally spoke. "What's gonna happen to her?"

"Who?"

"Lisa."

"Well, prison, of course," Steve answered. "Hopefully for a good, long time."

"But Oscar told me she'd been undergoing hypnosis. What if, maybe, she was as much of a victim in this as I was?"

"She may get a lighter sentence, if she testifies against Courtney and tells everything she knows."

"Hypnotic suggestion is a powerful thing, Steve! She may have things in her head that she believes are her own thoughts – but that someone else planted there!"

"They'll sort it all out when the time comes," Steve promised. "Her lawyers will have the doctors examine her – body _and_ mind, and I'm sure they'll -"

"I wanna see her."

"You – _what?"_

"By myself, just to talk to her."

"Sweetheart, right now we need to concentrate on getting you well."

"But maybe helping her recover would help _me_ recover!"

Steve was silent. He saw the firm set of Jaime's jaw and knew there was no point in arguing. He'd let Rudy and Oscar handle it.

- - -

"Absolutely not!" Oscar fumed, pacing the length of Rudy's office and back again. "It's out of the question!"

"If we're talking about what's best for Jaime, perhaps we should be getting her input," Rudy suggested.

"You know where that would go, Doc," Steve scoffed. "When she gets an idea in her head..."

"And you want me to stop her – how?" Rudy asked, bemused.

"Medically!" Steve answered. "Tell her she's not well enough to leave the hospital. Re-admit her to the ICU. Tell her – I don't know – whatever it takes!"

Rudy shook his head. "I don't want her going there, either, but Jaime's growing stronger every day...and she knows it. Oscar? Maybe she'd listen to a direct order from you....?"

"First time for everything," Steve chuckled. "Let me know how that works for ya."

- - -

Less than a week later, Jaime walked on Steve's arm down the stairs and to the very end of the long, cold hallway. "Are you sure you wanna do this?" Steve asked one last time. "By yourself? I'll have to lock the door, you know."

"Just let me in there, please," Jaime said in a firm, clear voice.

The woman on the bench glanced up as the cell door creaked open, and her eyes grew wide. "I'll be right outside," Steve said to both women, reluctantly closing the door.

Jaime met her double's gaze evenly and without fear, allowing her unannounced presence to sink in before speaking.

"Hello, Lisa."

- - - - -


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Lisa shrank back against the wall, trying to make herself smaller, wishing she could disappear from Jaime's iron-willed gaze. "You..." she whispered, "I thought....they told me you were...dead."

"Guess again," Jaime responded.

"I – I'm so sorry....I -"

"Lisa, I'm here because I'd like to help you."

"Why?" Much like Steve, Oscar and Rudy, Lisa couldn't quite comprehend it. "I don't need your help!" she exclaimed, suddenly defiant. "I'm doin' just fine!"

"I can see that," Jaime noted, startled by the sudden change in Lisa's mood. "Why, Lisa? What made you do this? Did Courtney force you, or -"

"Shut up! Leave me alone! I don't have to talk to you! and....I don't want to!"

"Why'd you do it?" Jaime persisted. "What made your own life so terrible that you were ready to leave it behind and take over mine?"

Slowly, an evil smile spread across Lisa's face; Jaime had pressed exactly the right button. "Nothin' wrong with my life, Sugar-Pie," she said in a heavy Southern drawl. "But being Jaime Sommers pays a lot better," she finished, parroting Jaime's voice perfectly.

Jaime was taken aback, but only for a moment. She _had_ to keep going, while Lisa was off-guard and talking. "Who was paying you? Doctor Courtney?"

"He was s'posed to," Lisa pouted, "but your damn boyfriend had to go and ruin everything!"

_**Boyfriend?**_ Jaime's jealousy flared and she wondered just how close Lisa had gotten to Steve. "What were you supposed to do, Lisa?" she queried. "Seduce him?"

"No," Lisa giggled, licking her lips. "Woulda been a nice side benefit, though."

"What, then?" Jaime demanded.

"Don't feel like talking anymore," Lisa said, turning her head and averting her eyes.

"Well, I do!" Jaime told her. "I think I have a right to know why I almost died – don't you?"

"Don't care...."

"They'll keep you here instead of prison until you talk about it, you know."

"So?" Lisa said sullenly.

"So you'll get awfully tired of dry bologna sandwiches and cold, black decaf pretty darned fast..."

"Don't care."

"The other people who'll be questioning you won't be nearly as nice – or as patient - so you may as well talk to me and get it over with," Jaime suggested.

"Leave me alone. I'll talk to my lawyer."

"Who you won't be seeing as long as you're down here," Jaime pointed out. "You're in NSB custody, and they play hardball."

"What do you care? Get out." Lisa's voice was shaking but her eyes were cold.

"Not until you tell me what you were supposed to do. And I wrote the book on stubborn." Jaime stepped directly in front of her double. "Ever been on a morgue table, Lisa? Because apparently, I have! Maybe I've got it wrong; maybe all of this was _your_ idea! You paid Courtney to have me killed, so you could have my life, my house...and Steve."

"No!" Lisa cried, rising to the bait. "It was Courtney! He needed information!"

"What _kind_ of information?"

"Anything he could sell..." Lisa admitted weakly.

"So 'Jaime Sommers' would've become a double agent – is that it?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you know what, Lisa? Even if I _had_ died. It wouldn't have worked. Wanna know why?" Lisa didn't answer; she knew she'd been defeated. "Because even though you might have my face, my voice – and probably know more about my past than I do – you and Courtney left out one very important thing." Jaime rapped on the door with the pre-arranged knock to let Steve know she was done. As she wrapped her arm around Steve's waist and turned to go, she smiled triumphantly back at Lisa. "_This_ Jaime Sommers has a heart!"

- - - - -


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue

"You did great work, Babe," Oscar told Jaime the next morning. "Lisa confessed to every detail of the plan and has agreed to testify against Courtney. Remind me to have a little talk with you about disobeying a direct order...."

"But not today," Steve insisted. "The lady is on her way outta here. And well-earned, too."

Oscar smiled. "You mean -?"

"Yep," Jaime chirped. "I'm going home!"

"That's wonderful," Oscar agreed, kissing her on the cheek and then patting Steve's shoulder. "I know you'll take good care of her, Pal."

"Probably take better care of her than I could," Rudy agreed, joining them. "You're all set, Honey. I'll see you in a couple of days for a check-up."

"She'll be here," Steve promised.

As they walked out into the sunshine, Jaime threw her arms around Steve's neck, practically dancing with joy. "It's so good to be outta there! I was starting to feel like a professional patient!"

"I'm so glad you're feeling better," Steve said, kissing her.

"So much better! I feel like a -"

"Oh, please don't say it!"

Jaime grinned. "Like a new woman!"

END OF EPISODE TWO


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